3 Cozy Winter Recipes

When the winter weather takes a turn for the worse and all you want to do is stay curled up and warm inside, there’s nothing better than having some great winter recipes to make your Toronto apartment feel even more inviting. Stay warm this winter with some of these ultimate cozy winter recipes that will hit the spot when that wind chill starts to drop.

Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili

This recipe is warm, delicious, and comforting. Plus, it’s super easy to whip up!

Here’s what you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 dried guajillo chilies, deseeded, stemmed & sliced thin (one for the chili, one for the topping)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 14-oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 5 cups cubed sweet potatoes
• 2 cans of beans – black, red, pinto, or a combo
• 1 cup chopped kale
• ½ cup corn kernels (frozen is fine)
• a squeeze of lime
• salt, pepper

Topping options:

• chopped scallions
• tortilla strips – toast 10-15 minutes in the oven
• toasted chilies – toast 1-2 minutes in a 350 oven (or until they curl up)
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• diced avocado w/ a squeeze of lime

Over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic for about five minutes. Add chili powder, half the sliced chilies, vinegar, and tomatoes. Add the broth, sweet potato, and beans. Simmer on low heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato cubes are tender. Add the kale and corn and simmer for five more minutes. Season to taste, adding salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed. Serve topped with chopped scallions, toasted tortilla strips, toasted chilies, avocado, and lime.

Squash and Ginger Apple Soup

Here’s what you need:

• 1 medium sugar pumpkin or 1 butternut squash
• 1 small apple
• 1 yellow onion
• olive oil, salt, pepper, for roasting
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

Here’s what to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roast pumpkin or butternut squash, then cut and remove seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 20 minutes per side. Let cool then peel.

As the squash is cooking, slice the apple and onion into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast for 20 minutes. Halfway through, and the garlic cloves to the baking sheet. Peel the garlic cloves once cooked.

Once finished, combine all the roasted ingredients with coconut milk, ginger, cardamom, cayenne, and salt. Puree. Thin with water or broth if needed. Season to taste.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

 Prine

Here’s what you need:

• splash of olive oil
• 2 small shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 cups black beans, cooked, drained (reserve a few for garnish)
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup water

• salt, pepper
• lime
• 1 clove garlic
• Optional garnishes: red onion, avocado, cilantro, cheese, salsa

Here’s what to do:

Sauté shallots, garlic, jalapeño and salt in olive oil for a few minutes. Add chili powder, black beans, and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend, adding water if soup is too thick.

Serve with a squeeze of lime, season to taste, and serve with garnishes of your choice, including red onion, avocado, cilantro, cheese, or salsa.

Stay warm and cozy up inside your apartment this winter with these simple recipes that are guaranteed to keep you warm!